Statue of Liberty to reopen despite shutdown

Ferry trips to Liberty Island National Park from Manhattan's Battery Park will resume at 9 a.m. Tickets go on sale at 8:30 a.m., though it remained unclear when service might resume from the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, according to a spokesman for ferry operator Statue Cruises.

"We're glad to be up and running to Liberty Island," said Statue Cruises marketing director Rafael Abreu. He said they had a 60 percent reduction in business since the federal government shutdown that shuttered national parks. The company ferries about 7,000 to 10,000 passengers a day.

National Parks Service spokesman John Warren said Liberty Island access tickets purchased during the closure days will be honored, but space inside the monument and the crown is limited, and tourists should check in when they arrive to see if any tickets are available.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that the state would pay about $61,600 a day to reopen Liberty Island through Oct. 17. If the shutdown is not resolved by then, officials said, they will renegotiate to keep it open.